While downloads make up many sales, Bowie’s demographic has also pushed up physical CD sales, with “old music” again outselling much newer material.

Several plants have been brought back into full production with demand in the catalogue rising by some 5,000 percent in the U.S.

David Bowie sales are still surging after his death. The innovative singer had hits like "Fame," ''Heroes" and "Let's Dance." AP Photo

Bowie, whether the Black Star of late, the Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust or any other name you prefer, continues to be the biggest force on the just-released Official Albums Chart in the country he moved away from for New York.

His final studio collection Blackstar, released just before Bowie’s death, has been confirmed the best-selling album for a third week. It leads five Bowie releases in the U.K.’s Top 10, with similar placing likely in other countries.

The greatest-hits collections Best of Bowie and Nothing Has Changed are at numbers 3 and 5 respectively. Two of his 1970s classic LPs follow: 1971’s Hunky Dory in ninth place and 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in tenth.

Bowie is therefore only the second act in British chart history to get five albums in the same Top 10 since Jackson’s six in 2009 after his passing.

In total Bowie has 12 in the Top 40, level with Presley’s simultaneous entries following his death in 1977.